BGRF scientists to present advances in ageing research in China alongside eight Nobel Laureates

April 25, 2014 - PRLog -- The Biogerontology Research Foundation is pleased to report that its director and trustee, Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD has been invited to the advisory board of the 5th Annual World DNA and Genome Day in Dalian, China and will give a talk on novel in silico methods for screening and ranking of targeted cancer drugs as well as possible geroprotectors – drugs that may slow the ageing process or repair age-related damage. Dr Zhavoronkov will give a talk titled "Using Signaling Pathway Activation Profiles for In Silico Drug Discovery and Development for Cancer and Other Age-Related Diseases" on Sunday, April 27 at 11:20.

Ageing is the primary cause of the many diseases causing suffering of the elderly and leading to disability and death. Extending healthy productive life is one of the most pressing challenges in developed countries, where debt-laden economies can barely tolerate the increasing burden of the social security and healthcare programs.

"Humans have much longer lifespans than flies, worms and mice and finding drugs that may have effects on longevity is a long and complex process. We are developing new methods for high-throughput in silico screening of drugs that may help suppress ageing and methods that may help personalise a preventative drug regimen for individual patients," said Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, director of the Biogerontology Research Foundation.

He added: "This work is based on the many years of fundamental research of Dr Anton Buzdin, Dr Nikolay Borisov and the leading scientist in genetics of ageing, Dr Alexey Moskalev, who is also a former BGRF trustee, and we are happy to present it in Dalian. At the Biogerontology Research Foundation we are very happy to be invited to China – these conferences always bring together top scientists from all over the world and yield fruitful collaborations."

A newly-appointed BGRF trustee, Dmitry Kaminskiy, the co-founder of the Center for Biogerontology and Regenerative Medicine at the biopharmcluster "Northern" at MIPT, will also attend the conference.

Commenting on the announcement, Mr Kaminskiy said: "China is one of the most rapidly developing countries and in many areas of science and technology it already assumed leading positions. This growth is in part fuelled by China's ability to focus resources on high-priority projects and attract top foreign experts that take advantage of the highly-skilled yet cost-effective labor, world-class infrastructure, local support programs and culture that fosters hard work and innovation. I am very happy to attend one of the best international conferences in China, where so many Nobel laureates will be presenting their work."

The Biogerontology Research Foundation has the experience of supporting research projects in China and its scientists often attend BIT conferences, having previously presented at conferences like the BIT's 3rd Annual World Congress of Molecular & Cell Biology in Suzhou, 3rd Annual World Congress of Molecular Medicine and the 4th World Gene Convention in Haikou.

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Notes to Editors

About the Biogerontology Research Foundation

The Biogerontology Research Foundation seeks to fill a gap within the research community, whereby the current scientific understanding of the ageing process is not yet being sufficiently exploited to produce effective medical interventions. The BGRF funds research which, building on the body of knowledge about how ageing happens, will develop biotechnological interventions to remediate the molecular and cellular deficits which accumulate with age and which underlie the ill-health of old age.

Addressing ageing damage at this most fundamental level will provide an important opportunity to produce the effective, lasting treatments for the diseases and disabilities of ageing, which are required to improve quality of life in the elderly. The BGRF seeks to use the entire scope of modern biotechnology to attack the changes that take place in the course of ageing, and to address not just the symptoms of age-related diseases but also the mechanisms of those diseases.